Korea sets national classification guide for outdoor energy storage systems

The environment ministry said Thursday it has drawn up a national classification guideline for outdoor energy storage systems, a step it said can cut permitting times by as much as three months and costs by as much as 70 million won ($52,293).

The guideline, prepared with the government's joint public-private regulatory reform task force under the Office for Government Policy Coordination, will be distributed to local governments nationwide starting Oct. 15. It is intended to end a patchwork in which the same energy storage system was classified as a building, a temporary structure or a structure depending on the local government, producing different procedures, timelines and costs.

Permitting for a system classified as a building takes about two to four months and costs about 30 million to 80 million won, while a structure classification takes about 0.5 to 1.5 months and costs about 2 million to 10 million won. Systems classified as structures are also exempt from building standards such as floor area ratio and building-to-land ratio limits.

The guideline sets human access and the facility's structure and use as additional criteria alongside Article 2 of the Building Act. Enclosed systems with dedicated protective enclosures that people cannot enter are classified as structures. Systems that allow limited access for inspection and maintenance become temporary structures, while dedicated storage buildings with non-container construction that people can enter at all times are treated as buildings. The ministry also provided a decision matrix so local permitting officials can classify installations clearly and easily.

"Energy storage systems are core infrastructure supporting the expansion of renewable energy and the stabilization of the power grid," said Lee Jae-sik, the ministry's power grid policy director. "We will continue to resolve regulatory and administrative uncertainties in the field so that energy storage systems can be installed where they are needed in a timely manner."

Kim Min-sung, deputy head of the regulatory reform task force, said differing legal interpretations by local governments had been a major difficulty for the secondary battery industry. "As in this case, where the ministry responded swiftly to a private-sector suggestion, we will strive to produce practical improvements," he said.

The ministry said it will keep checking how the guideline is applied in the field and will continue to identify on-site difficulties in energy storage projects, working with relevant ministries to improve unreasonable regulations.